Anthony Bourdain Discussed His Suicidal Thoughts In One Of His Final Interviews

On June 8, the world was shocked to hear about thetragic death of beloved celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

He was found unresponsive by his friend, Eric Ripert, in his hotel room in France.

The 61-year-old was working on an upcoming episode for the 11th season of his CNN show, Parts Unknown.

AP

The cause of death was suicide by hanging, and medical experts concluded that there was "no element" that makes them suspect otherwise.

This news came only days after iconic fashion designer Kate Spade took her own life.

Heartbreaking News

"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," CNN said in a statement Friday morning.

"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."

AP

From the outside, Bourdain seemed to be living the dream. He worked in high-end restaurants, wrote best-selling books, and starred on a hit show that was loved by many.

The last time he was seen in public, Bourdain was at the Michelin-starred Auberge de l'Ill in nearby Illhaeusern, where staff described Ripert and Bourdain looking "pretty happy."

A Reason To Live

In his final interview with PEOPLE in February, Bourdain described himself as "happy," citing that his main motivation is his 11-year-old daughter, Ariane.

"I also do feel I have things to live for. There have been times, honestly, in my life that I figured, ‘I've had a good run—why not just do this stupid thing, this selfish thing… jump off a cliff into water of indeterminate depth.'"

He added, "In retrospect, I don’t know that I would do that today — now that I’m a dad or reasonably happy."

He joked that he was "pretty much going to die in the saddle" when asked about his plans to retire.

He also said that he was "happy in ways [he] didn't think [he] would ever be."

After divorcing two times, Bourdain seemed to have found happiness with Asia Argento, whom he met after she directed an episode of his show.

The two had a open relationship, and they seemed to be okay with it, according to Rose McGowan.

Troubling Signs

While some people thought that Bourdain was "the last person in the world to do something like that," a source who worked closely with the celebrity chef told PEOPLE that there were signs of his "exhaustion."

“​His travel schedule was grueling, and he often seemed quite beat-up from it, as anyone would be ... He gave everything to his work and then had nothing, zero, left for himself afterwards. He was always very, very tired. He pushed himself extremely hard. Most producers and crew don’t work on every single episode, it’s just too much especially if you have a family. But that wasn’t an option for Tony. We never had any sense of depression or mental illness. He was not especially cheerful or engaging, off camera, but it was never rude or ill-intentioned. The guy was absolutely exhausted.”

The source noted that after shooting, he would go back to his room "to isolate."

AP

That being said, he would come down from his hotel room every morning and give it his all for his next shoot.

On Friday, when he didn't show up, the crew knew that something terrible must have happened.

The news of Bourdain's death has shed light on the rise of suicide rates in the U.S.

Tributes From Around The World

Anderson Cooper teared up on-air when discussing the passing of his dear friend:

"The pain he must have been feeling, at least in that moment or in those moments, and the loneliness he must be feeling it’s just terribly sad to think about."

Bourdain's girlfriend posted a heartbreaking note on her Twitter account:

Celebrity chefs, like Gordon Ramsay, also shared a few words about the culinary genius.

Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food. Remember that help is a phone call away US:1-800-273-TALK UK: 116 123

“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.” This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him. pic.twitter.com/orEXIaEMZM

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